I'll be there soon
by finnnorgana
Summary: a moment, before sleep. rikai, background sorikai, post-re:mind


hello! happy friday!

I watched all the re:mind stuff yesterday. and it's cute but not thirty to forty dollars cute, but that's just me!

what was given was pretty good though! good enough for a little inspiration in between schoolwork. shouts out to the limit/data fight cutscenes, thanks for the destiny trio rights.

title's from the song by radical face, and as usual everything is unbeta'd and edited by me.

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"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Trying not to jostle the machines hooked up to her as she sank deeper into the hard-backed chair, Kairi smiled over at Riku, resting her free hand on her stomach as he grasped her other hand between his. The room was blessedly empty, Ansem the Wise, Evan, and Ienzo kindly giving them a moment of privacy before – before...well.

Riku sat next to her, scooting as close as he could, and held her hand close, rubbing an absent thumb softly across her knuckles. He's trying not too look upset, but he was poor at hiding it – Kairi could see right through him.

Breathing a quiet laugh through her nose, she squeezed Riku's hand. "Yes," she said firmly, "I'm sure."

"But you don't _have_ do," Riku stressed, moving closer, "what if – maybe we just need to keep researching, or…maybe there's another world out there that he's been to – maybe there's something there that can –"

"Riku."

He fell silent, and Kairi tried to stay firm. "I need to do this," she finally said, "I _need_ to. It's been weeks, Riku. What if this is the way?"

"But Kairi –"

"I remember that dream, Riku. The one you told me about."

She still remembered it – Riku mumbling in his sleep, eyes darting back and forth beneath his eyelids, his muscles occasionally twitching as he dreamed. She remembered when he woke up, confused, and the way he said Sora's name, quiet and lost, made Kairi's heart break all over again.

They're doing everything they can – searching through all the data they had, scouring the worlds, the realms, their own memories. So why shouldn't she do this, too?

"It's like you told me, Riku, remember?" Kairi grinned at him, cheeky, "we're Keyblade wielders – we don't get to have _normal_ dreams."

Her little quip had the effect she wanted, and Riku laughed softly, nose crinkling a little as he smiled. She wanted to kiss it – she wished she had more time.

"You're right," Riku agreed, pulling her back to the conversation, "our dreams never really get to be normal."

"Exactly! So, let me do this, Riku. Let me try and find a way to bring him home."

Riku's smile faded away, short lived, and Kairi hated to see it go. He squeezed her hand again, thinking. "…I just don't want to have to do this without you," he said, quiet. "I feel like I just got you back, and now we have to split up again."

"Riku, you're not going to do this without me - we're still working on finding him together. This is just – me doing my part."

He hung his head, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead. "I know," he whispered, "I get it. I just – I hope it doesn't take too long."

Kairi shifted in her chair, carefully turning onto her side so she could be a little closer to Riku. "I will do this for as long as it takes," she simply said. "If it means having Sora back home with us, then I'll search for as long as I have to."

"Kairi."

The two of them looked up as Ansem slipped into the room with a polite nod, "I apologize for interrupting – but it's almost time. Are you ready?"

Riku's grip tightened on her, and Kairi exhaled slowly, shifting back into place in her chair. "As ready as I can be, I suppose."

Ansem nodded, quietly leaving the room again to let them say their goodbyes in privacy, and Kairi grinned at Riku as he rose to his feet, still holding onto her hand. "Time for my nap, I guess," she said, trying to make light of it, "don't work too hard, okay Riku?"

"No promises," Riku snorted. "You know me – always the workaholic."

"Don't I know it – and now you don't have me or Sora to pull you away." Kairi looked over him with a stern, teasing eye, "if you stress yourself out, I'll know - and I'll be _upset_."

"Okay, okay…" they laughed quietly, but the noise soon vanished, the two of them staring at each other soberly. With a resigned sigh, Riku pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles, his free hand running through her hair before resting on her cheek. "I'll miss having you around, Kairi. Be careful, okay?"

"I'm always careful." She smiled sweetly at him, and Riku didn't trust that for a second, rolling his eyes. "Hey, now, I don't appreciate that. Now, come on – kiss me goodnight."

Letting out another quiet laugh, Riku bent down to fulfill Kairi's request, lips curling into a slight smile when he felt her free hand twist into his shirt, trying to keep him for a little while longer. Kairi bumped her nose against his when Riku finally pulled away, the two of them unable to look away from each other as he helped her back into her chair.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep, okay?" Kairi asked as Ansem, Ienzo, and Evan entered the room – her last request for a while.

She wanted Riku to be the last thing she sees.

"I will." He pressed her hand to his heart, "of course I will, Kairi. I'll be right here."

And he stayed, just like she wanted, as the other three moved around them, murmuring in quiet voices. He stayed as drowsiness came over Kairi, and it became harder and harder to keep her eyes open, and when she finally succumbed to her drowsiness, it was with Riku's bright eyes and warm smile in her heart as she drifted away into the black of sleep.

When she woke again, it was to weightlessness and velvet darkness, cradling her as she floated. Beneath her, a soft, violet light began to glow.

Slowly, Kairi turned, and stared at the stained glass rising to meet her – stared at the reflections of her own young face, peaceful in sleep. Stared at Sora, and Riku, and basked their bright smiles.

_I miss them already,_ she thought to herself with a wry grin.

"Alright," she whispered to the empty air, arms outstretched towards the facets of her heart, "let's get to work."

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when you want some rikai content but you never get any so you've gotta make it yourself :(

when you also want kairi to do more things and make her a more active participant in her heart search :((((

comments and the like are always loved, of course! I'll probably make another post kh3 sora coming home aftermath thing when I have more free time. but for now, this will do.

I'm spacebeyonce on tumblr, if you wanna hang there. thanks for reading!


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